Airbus agrees to pay record $3.9bn to settle bribery claims

© Björn Wylezich

Boeing is not alone in having some expensive problems. Airbus has agreed to pay a whopping $3.9bn in penalties for “bribing” officials in China – and elsewhere. The money will be paid to France, the UK and the US. The case revolved around a seven-year scheme in which the aircraft manufacturer offered and paid decision-makers, including some in government, to win business. It hid the payments through a business partner with a bank account in Hong Kong, reports FreightWaves.